Friday, September 25, 2009

Tavern Tables

As you open the door to the tavern’s common room, a blast of heat from the massive hearth and the crowded bodies within banishes the last vestiges of cool night air that cling to you. In the room beyond the door, uproarious laughter and cascading conversations mingle with the myriad smells of delicious cooking, spilled ale, and perfumes from a half-score of foreign shores. The tavern is busy tonight as both locals and travelers gather for companionship, filling the taproom to near capacity.

Momentarily pausing in the doorway, you cast your eyes across the bustling common room. A row of patrons three-deep crowds the bar, clamoring for the attention of Yven the barkeep. On your left, next to the tavern’s gigantic hearth, a small performance space has been cleared. The dense throng surrounding it erupts in a gale of laughter and applause, but their numbers obscure the performers beyond. At the rear of the tavern, a wide door bangs open, revealing a serving wench emerging from the kitchen beyond with a larger trencher of succulent meat balanced atop her shoulder. More servants move about the room collecting the culinary desires of the common room’s occupants.

Near the kitchen door, a worn staircase rises to the tavern’s second story, providing access to the numerous small apartments and rooms that occupy that space. To your right, in a dimly-lit, sunken corner of the tavern, stand several gaming tables. Wagerers of all races and creeds swarm the tables, risking coin and property to the whims of Chance. As your eyes rove about the room, you detect the presence of several other doughty adventurers also between forays into the ancient subterranean holdings just outside of town.

With pouch laden with wealth plundered from the dungeon depths, you plunge into the throng in search of an evening’s entertainment and relaxation. Do you want to:

2 comments:

looks like this might become an online interactive refference to your world! How easy it would be for a DM not to have to flip pages but just click links as the players bounced around the world to find the tables he might want to roll on and maps he would want for the floor plan of an establishment! love it love it love it!

Who's to Blame

Despite having never been a professional adventurer, Michael Curtis has nonetheless deciphered cryptic writings, handled ancient maps and texts, ridden both a camel and an elephant, fallen off a mountain, participated in a mystical rite, and discovered the resting places of lost treasures. He can be contacted at poleandrope @ gmaildotcom